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Football

Former Vanderbilt College football players (left to right) Jaborian McKenzie, Brandon Vandenburg and Corey Batey are seen in this combination picture made of booking photos supplied by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department on August 10, 2013. (REUTERS/Metropolitan Nashville Police Department/Handout via Reuters)

Four former Vanderbilt players charged with rape pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.

Attorneys for the accused entered their pleas before Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Monte Watkins. None of the players appeared in court.

Brandon Vandenburg, 20, of Indio, Calif.; Cory Batey, 19, of Nashville; Brandon Eric Banks, 19, of Brandywine, Md.; and Jaborian McKenzie, 18, of Woodville, Miss., are accused of raping an unconscious 21-year-old woman in a campus dorm during the summer.

They each face five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. Vandenburg also is charged with one count of unlawful photography and tampering with evidence. He remains in jail.

In a nearby courtroom, Vanderbilt wide receiver Chris Byrd, through his attorney, pleaded not guilty to an accessory after the fact charge. Boyd, who has 81 career receptions for 1,247 yards and 13 touchdowns, is suspended from the team.

Facing additional charges of tampering with evidence are Miles Joseph Finley, 19, of Bermuda Dunes, Calif., and Joseph Dominick Quinzio, 20, of Palm Desert, Calif. Both are Vandenburg's high school teammates and friends.